


A Study in Scheele's

by gardnerhill



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Angst, Community: watsons_woes, Gen, Wallpaper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardnerhill/pseuds/gardnerhill
Summary: Such a gorgeous shade.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes / John Watson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37
Collections: Watson's Woes JWP Collection: 2020





	A Study in Scheele's

**Author's Note:**

> For the 2020 July Watson's Woes Promptfest prompt #3, **Green Grow the Rushes, Oh!:** Your inspiration today is anything green: grass, leaves, emeralds, a visiting alien, someone who is green with envy….

In my records of the cases taken by my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes, I am sorry to say that too many were no mystery at all for either of us. More times than I wish to recall, we needed only walk into the room to espy the murderer, surrounding us and camouflaged with clusters of flowers or filigree. Holmes would snap out the cause of death, I affirmed it, and we left.

The worst was the Hayes family nursery. I gripped my friend's shoulder as he coldly chastised the local constable who had arrested the grief-stricken mother. "The only thing of which Elizabeth Hayes is guilty is ignorance of the source of this very lovely shade of green used to colour the grapes." Holmes swept his arm around, indicating the wallpaper pattern. "Master George was just of an age to begin walking, and like all children his first instinct when met with anything shiny or pretty is to put it in his mouth, or lick it."

"Scheele's Green or Paris Green is the official name of this shade, Constable Jackson." I kept my voice as steely as I could, for I too felt a pang to the heart at this loss no parent should suffer – let alone due to that parent's actions, no matter how unintentional. "The green colour is derived from –"

"Arsenic," the policeman whispered. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph."

"Yes, the child was poisoned. But was an accident. A tragic accident, but no murder." Holmes was as steely as I, and for the same reason. "You may free Elizabeth Hayes so that she may attend her son's funeral tomorrow."

I blessed the privacy of our first-class train car on the way back to London; I held Holmes' hand all the way back and let him weep in silence.


End file.
